Penny's parents
Brody was flying high along the river, just enjoying the warm weather Big Swirl Island always offered and just being he's calm, mellow self.
"Primo day for some surfing. I wonder what the others are doing?" He pondered as he continued to fly along the river's path.
As he continued to fly, he spotted a blue bird wearing an orange shirt perched on a high branch of a tall tree.
"There's Swift." He said, as he flew over to the blue jay.
Swift didn't hear Brody come up behind him, as he continued watching something in the water.
"Hey Swift! What's mmmpph." Brody was cut off by the startled blue jay who quickly covered his beak with his wing.
"Shhh. Keep it down, Brody." Swift whispered, as he removed his wing from his friend's beak.
"That was so not primo, dude." Brody whispered with a scowl.
"Sorry." Swift apologized, then turned to continue watching what he was watching.
"What are you looking at?" Brody asked, as he sat next to his friend and followed his line of sight.
"N-nothing." Swift replied.
When Brody looked to see what his friend was looking at, he saw Penny and Anyu playing in the water.
"Are you spying on Penny?" Brody asked, looking back at Swift.
"N-no. Why'd you think that?" Swift replied, his cheeks turning a bit pink. 1
Brody picked up on the stutter and noticed the change of color on his friend's face. He looked back at the penguin and polar bear playing together, then back at his friend.
"No way. Dude, do you like Penny?" Brody asked.
"O-of course I like Penny. She's my friend." Swift replied.
"You know what I mean, dude." Brody said, giving him a knowing half-lidded look.
"N-no!... Maybe.... Yes." Swift quietly admitting with a frown.
"Dude, how long have you been like this?" Brody asked.
Swift sighed. "For quite some time now." he replied.
"How long is 'some time'?" Brody asked.
Swift groaned. "A year... or more." 1
"A YE--!" Brody's beak was quickly covered by Swift. They looked down and saw Penny and Anyu looking around.
With Penny and Anyu
"Did you hear that, Penny?" Anyu asked.
"Hear what?" Penny asked.
"I thought I heard something." Anyu said, as they looked around to see if they saw anything.
"I guess it was nothing. I'm probably just hearing things." she said. They got back to playing after not seeing anything.
With Swift and Brody
Swift gave a relieved sigh and removed his wing from Brody's beak.
"Sorry." Brody apologized. "But dude, a year? How come you never said anything? At least to me and Rod."
"I was confused. I always saw Penny like a little sister. But as we got older, I started to feel different about her. I needed time to understand what I was feeling." Swift explained.
"And you found out, that..." Brody pressed on.
Swift sighed. "I'm in love with her." he sadly admitted, looking down at Penny.
Brody frowned seeing his friend's expression. He looked to Swift, then Penny and back to Swift.
"Dude... looks and sounds like you've fallen pretty hard for her." Brody said.
Swift sighed and nodded. "I've been trying to figure out how to tell her for a while now. I mean, we all know almost everything about each other. Our likes, dislikes, fears. My fear has always been, not being able to fly anymore. But... now I have a new fear. Being rejected by my best friend who I've fallen in love with, and possibly ruin our friendship." he said.
"I don't think so. Knowing Penny, she's not going to let something like that ruin her friendships. The worst she could say is 'no' to your feelings because she doesn't feel the same, but she will want to keep being your friend. Besides, I'm sure she'll say 'yes'." Brody stated.
"How are you so sure?" Swift asked.
"The two of you are really close. I know we are all best friends, but you and Penny have been really close since we first met. Honestly, I would be surprised if she said 'no'." Brody replied.
"I guess. But, how can I tell her how I feel about her. I've been trying to think of something that won't seem like I'm asking her out on a date." Swift stated.
They thought for a while, until Brody got an idea.
"Hey, I just got a primo idea! Let's head back to headquarters. I'll explain there." Brody said, as he flew off the branch and began to make his way back to headquarters.
Swift looked to Brody as he flew off, then looked back down at Penny, still playing with Anyu. He sighed, got up, and flew off to catch up with Brody.
With Penny and Anyu
"Ok, they're gone." Anyu told Penny.
Penny turned around and looked up and saw Swift and Brody flying away. She gave a relieved sigh.
"It was really hard for me to not look in their direction." Penny said.
"Penny, if Swift likes you more than a friend, don't you think he's probably just really nervous and afraid to tell you?" Anyu asked.
"I really do think that. He's always been kind, gentle and helpful to everyone. But he's not as outgoing as I am." Penny replied.
"But, if you know that, why don't you tell him how you feel about him?" Anyu suggested.
"I would, but that's not the penguin way. Besides, he's cute when he's nervous." Penny replied with a giggle.
"Ok. But what if he doesn't tell you?" Anyu asked.
"When I'm tired of waiting, I'll tell him." Penny replied. "Besides, maybe with Brody's help, he'll get the courage to tell me... I hope."
"Hey, how about we head to The Lemon Shack and get some kelp-icers to cheer you up." Anyu suggested.
"Ok! Let's go!" Penny exclaimed, as they made their way to The Lemon Shack.
With Swift and Brody
When Swift and Brody got back to Headquarters, they met Rod who had just got back from The Lemon Shack.
"Say WHAT!" Rod exclaimed, after being told of Swift's situation. They were in their sleeping quarters. "Why didn't you tell us?! I thought we were friends!"
Swift stood before his friends, nervously rubbing his left wing with his right hand.
"We are! It's just..." Swift didn't know what to say.
"It's ok, Swift. I think I get it. I was just caught up in the moment of surprise." Rod told him.
"Eh heh. Right. Anyway, Brody? What was the idea you had?" Swift asked.
"Right. This will be perfect for you to tell Penny how you feel. Remember co-pilot training?" Brody asked.
"Yea. Penny was -" Swift paused, catching on to what Brody was suggesting. "Oohhh..."
"I see you're catching on." Brody stated.
"Yea. Penny was so fascinated by the view, she couldn't focus on the training mission. And since that was a training mission, she didn't get a chance to really take in most of it. I can fly her around the island to see what it looks like from the sky!" Swift exclaimed excitedly.
"And to end it, you can bring her to the top of Snow Cap Mountain and watch the sunset." Brody suggested.
"And that's when you'll confess." Rod added in.
"He he. Right..." Swift said, unsurely.
"You'll be fine." Brody assured. "Although, you're gonna have to give her something."
"Why's that?" Rod asked.
"It's penguin tradition. When a male wants to court a female, he has to give her the best possible gift to prove himself." Brody explained. "Got anything in mind, Swift?"
Swift's face was almost as red as Rod's Road-Wing, as he gave his friends a shy smile.
"Waaait. You mean you have something?" Brody asked.
Swift said nothing and flew over to his bed bunk. He opened one of the drawers and pulled out a small blue rectangular box. He flew back down to his friends, whose beaks opened wide in shock when they saw the box in Swift's hands.
"I uh... did a bit of research of the penguin courting ritual." Swift explained, still blushing.
"Woah. You're really serious. Whatever you have in there has to be super primo." Brody stated.
"Can we see it?" Rod eagerly asked.
Swift nodded and opened the box. Inside was a two-piece set of a shell necklace and bracelet, with kelp-icer pendants.
"I uh... m-made them myself..." Swift said.
"Wooooah..." Brody awed.
"Cock-a-doodle [whistles]..."Rod whistled in awe.
"Dude, if she says 'no', I'm going to cry. These are super SUPER primo!"
"I agree." Rod stated.
"Thanks guys." Swift said, as he closed the box. "I just need to ask her out. I was thinking of doing it tomorrow since it's our last day off."
"Primo idea." Brody agreed. "Best of luck."
"Yea. You can cock-a-doodle DO it!" Rod encouraged.
"Thanks guys." Swift smiled.
The Next Day
"Hey, Penny. Got anything planned for today?" Swift asked the penguin.
"Nope. I was actually planning to spend the day with you guys, since it's our last day off." Penny replied.
"Well, you and Swift have fun. Rod and I have plans for today." Brody said.
"We do?" Rod asked. Brody gave him a bored look. "Oh! Right. Forgot about that. He he."
"We'll see you two later." Brody said as he walked off, followed by Rod.
"So, what did you have in mind?" Penny asked Swift, once the two were gone.
"I thought I'd give you a proper tour of Big Swirl from the sky, since you didn't really get a chance to enjoy it last time." Swift said.
Penny gasped and her eyes widened with excitement. "Really!? I'd love to! It'll be super cool! The last... well, the only time I was up there was when we were training for our co-pilot badges. I didn't get a chance to really enjoy the view."
Swift chuckled. "Yea, I know. We've been so busy with training, I never got a chance to give you a proper ride."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Penny exclaimed, belly sliding to her elevator.
"This is your chance, Swift. Don't screw it up." Swift thought as he flew over to his elevator.
They both got into their gear, jumped into the Flash-wing and took off.
"Hang on tight. I want to show you something before the tour. Going turbo!" Swift said. Penny giggled.
Swift flew the Flash-wing off the island. When they were a fair distance away he told Penny to cover her eyes. When she did, he did a 180 degree turn and kept the jet suspended while facing the island.
"Ok, you can look now." Swift told her.
Penny uncovered her eyes. She gasped and her eyes widened in awe.
"Wooowww.... That's Big Swirl Island...?" she asked in absolute awe. Swift nodded. "It's soooo beautiful. I can see almost everything from here. There's Snow Cap Mountain, and Echo Canyon, Danger Canyon, Hidden Cove, Shipwreck Gully. It's all so amazing." Penny continued in awe.
"You're amazing." Swift thought with a smile.
"I could stay up here forever. It's just soo cool." Penny excitedly stated.
Swift chuckled. "If you think this is cool, wait till you see all those places up close from the air."
Penny gave a happy gasp, while Swift hit the turbo button and flew back towards the island.
They spent the whole day flying over all the places on the island, except Danger Canyon since it was a 'no flying zone', but Penny really enjoyed the view of the island from the air. She was in absolute awe of everything.
Their last stop was Snow Cap Mountain. The sun was beginning to set, signifying the day coming to an end. Swift landed the Flash-wing on the highest point of the mountain and opened up the hatch, allowing the cool mountain air to pass over them.
"This is soo cool! Literally!" Penny exclaimed, as she jumped out of the Flash-wing and started playing in the snow.
Swift chuckled and flew out after her. He landed on one of the rocks that was barely covered in snow and smiled while watching Penny play in the snow. He turned away from her for a moment to look at the sunset and was suddenly hit with some snow on the side of his head.
"Hey!" He exclaimed, as he looked back at the playful penguin.
Penny giggled and threw another snowball at him, which he quickly dodged.
"Oh, now you're gonna get it." Swift smiled as he picked up some snow and began throwing snowballs her, which resulted in the two having a snowball fight.
The fight lasted a few minutes, ending with Swift giving up after getting hit so many times by the skilled penguin. Penny giggled and belly slid over to the blue jay who was wiping the snow off his suit and feathers.
"You ok, Swift?" Penny asked.
"Yea, I'm ok. That was fun though." Swift smiled, then looked behind Penny.
Penny turned to look and her eyes and beak opened in awe. The sun was half-way in setting over the horizon.
"Woow.." She awed, sliding over to a rock and sat down to really admire the view. Swift smiled and flew over and sat next to her, and looked out at the sunset as well.
"Today was absolutely AMAZING! It was the best, best day ever! Thank you, Swift." Penny said, as she looked up and smiled at the blue jay.
"You're welcome, Penny. It was my pleasure." Swift replied with a smile.
They continued to watch the sunset. After a moment of comfortable silence, Swift spoke up.
"Um, Penny?" he said to get her attention. Penny looked up at him.
"I uh... have something... to tell you." he nervously started.
"What is it?" Penny asked.
Swift took a deep breath and exhaled to calm himself.
"Ok Swift, you can do this." he thought.
"We've... known each other for quite a while and have become best friends. We know almost everything about each other and always looked out for one another. We've all gotten really close to each other. For the first few years we've spent together at the academy, I've... always looked at you like a little sister. But... as time went on, and we got older, I started to feel... different... towards you. My feeling for you as a friend, changed. It took a while, but I realized that... I had fallen for you, Penny. I'm... I'm in love with you. I'll understand if you don't feel the same, but I had to get this off my chest. And if you don't, I hope it doesn't ruin the great friendship that we have." Swift confessed.
Penny listened attentively while Swift spoke and poured his heart out. She wasn't expecting him to confess like that. She smiled at him and giggled.
"Took you long enough." Penny replied.
Swift's eyes widened in surprise. "Y-you knew? How?"
"I realized you've been acting differently around me. I got a bit worried and was going to ask you if everything was ok. When I went to look for you, you were in the shower and I... accidentally heard you admit to yourself how you felt about me." Penny admitted.
Swift frowned and looked away, looking down at the snow.
"I couldn't tell you that I knew, because -"
"...It's not the penguin way." Swift cut her off.
"Right. So I waited until you were ready to tell me." Penny said.
"What if I took too long to tell you?" Swift asked, looking back at her.
"Then I was going to do it." Penny replied. "Because... I'm in love with you too, Swift. And... I have been for quite some time. You don't know this, but some of the penguins from my home who are around our age have called me to try to court me. I turned all of them down, because, I was waiting for you." she admitted.
Swift was surprised to hear that. He could have lost her to so many others, but smiled to know that she turned them down for him.
"I uh, I have something... for you." Swift said, as he dug into his pocket and pulled out the small blue box. He opened it and presented it to her. Penny gasp when she saw what was inside. A necklace and a bracelet made out of seashells with kelp-icer pendants. She pulled out the necklace and admired it.
"Swift... this is... how did... where did..." Penny was at a loss for words, which was a first.
"I... made them myself. Here, let me put them on for you." Swift said, putting the necklace and bracelet on her. Penny admired the gifts, the kelp-icer pendants shined in the light of the setting sun.
"They're amazing... and absolutely beautiful, Swift." Penny said, smiling up at him.
"Not as beautiful and amazing as you, Penny." Swift smiled in reply. "I'm glad you like them."
"I don't like them, I love them! But, I love you even more." Penny said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
Swift's eyes widened in surprise as he brought his hand on his cheek. He didn't expect her to do that. Penny giggled at his reaction. He smiled at her, and kissed her on her forehead.
"I love you, too, Penny. Thanks for waiting for me." Swift told her, as they embraced each other while enjoying the rest of the sunset.
It's been two months since Swift and Penny confessed their feelings for each other, and things have been going great between them.
When the rest of the island found out, they were happy for the two, and congratulated them. Commodore Smurkturkski wanted to have a celebration in their honor, but they politely declined. It's not like they were getting married for something like that to happen.
Swift was currently out in the field on a training mission, along with Rod and Brody. Penny was at HQ observing the training while Speedy and Bea directed the cadets on what to do.
"Alright cadets, now try it out on your own until you think you've mastered it." Speedy told them.
"You got it, Speedy!" The three replied, before ending communication.
"Is there anything I could do, Speedy?" Penny asked.
"Hmmm... not really. I don't really have anything for you right now, Penny." Speedy replied. "But if you want, you could-" he was cut off when the screen began to ring. It wasn't the alarm, just a regular call.
"I wonder who that could be." Speedy wondered as Bea answered the call.
"Hello? Is this Top Wing Academy?" asked a female penguin that appeared on the screen.
"Mom?" Penny asked, a little confused as she approached the screen.
"Oh! It is!" the penguin, who is Penny's mother, happily exclaimed. "Hi Penny, dear! Hello Speedy, hello Bea." she greeted the three.
"Hello Priscilla. Nice to see you. Can we... help you with something?" Speedy asked, wondering why his student's parent was calling all of a sudden.
"Oh, no Speedy. I don't. I just wanted to talk to my little Penny." Priscilla replied.
"Mom... I'm not little anymore." Penny whined.
"I know, sweetie. But you're still my little Penny." Priscilla stated.
Penny sighed. "I'll accept that. So, what did you want to talk about?"
"Um... is it possible for us to talk in private?" Priscilla asked.
"Uuhh..." Penny looked to Speedy and Bea for answers.
"I'll transfer the call to the video screen at your bed, Penny." Speedy stated, as he pressed icons on his tablet.
"Wait... we have those?" Penny asked.
Speedy chuckled. "Better get going. The screen will pop up once I press the transfer button." he told her.
With that said, Penny quickly made her way to her sleeping quarter. Once she was gone from the room, Priscilla let out a distressed sigh, which caught Speedy and Bea's attention.
"Everything ok, Priscilla?" Bea asked.
"I hope so, once I'm done talking to Penny." Priscilla replied.
"Ok Speedy! I'm in the room!" Penny yelled out.
"I'm sure whatever it is, you two will work it out." Speedy told her, about to press the 'transfer call' button
"Thanks, Speedy." Priscilla replied, before she disappeared from the screen.
"Priscilla looked really upset. I hope whatever it is isn't too bad." Bea stated. Speedy nodded in agreement.
-
With Penny
Penny saw a small screen slowly pop up next to her photo of her and Anyu. Soon after, her mother's face came into view.
"Hello again, mother." Penny greeted her mother again. "So, what did you want to talk about?" she asked.
"First of all, how are you dear? And how's life at the academy?" Priscilla asked.
"I'm doing great! And it's suuuper cool! Speedy, Bea, my friends, the islanders... they're all really cool!" Penny happily replied.
"I'm glad to hear that sweetie. But remember, you have a family. You have to come visit us from time to time." Priscilla told her.
Penny giggled. "Yea, I know. I'll have to ask Speedy for some time off for me to visit. By the way, where's dad?" she asked.
Priscilla expression and tone soon changed. "He's... around."
"Mom? Is everything ok?" Penny asked, noticing the change.
Priscilla sighed. "Actually Penny... I need to talk to you about your father."
"Why? Did something happen?! Is he ok?!" Penny asked worriedly.
"Calm down, Penny. Your father's fine. It's... actually something that he did... well... almost did... that I need to tell you." Priscilla stated, looking at her daughter nervously.
"What is it?" Penny asked, curiously.
"First, you need to promise me you won't get too upset about what I'm about to tell you, sweetie." Priscilla stated.
"That depends..." Penny replied, raising an eye brow in suspicion.
Priscilla sighed, knowing that her daughter would get upset.
"Penny," she started, "Your father... almost... promised you to another penguin."
Penny froze and eyes widened when she heard that. It took her a few seconds to recover from the shock.
"He. Did. What?!" Penny asked, as calmly as possible.
Priscilla knew she heard, but wanted confirmation. "He almost promised you to another penguin." she repeated.
Penny took a deep breath to calm herself a bit, then asked as calmly as possible. "With who?"
"I believe his name was, Bobbin?" Priscilla replied, a bit unsure.
"Bobbin?" Penny asked. "You mean blobby Bobbin?!" her anger starting to show.
"Um, yes. I think that's what your brother said you kids called him." Priscilla replied.
Penny growled in anger before letting out a loud and long squawk.
-
In the control room
Swift, Rod and Brody had returned from their training mission and where being assessed by Speedy.
"Great job, cadets. You're getting better with every training session." Speedy told them.
"Well, we are learning from the best." Swift told him.
Speedy chuckled.
"By the way, Speedy. Where's Penny?" Swift asked.
"She's in the sleeping quarters. She's-" Speedy was cut off by a loud squawk.
"Woah! What was that?" Rod asked.
Swift gasped. "That sounded like Penny!" he said and quickly flew out of the control room towards their sleeping quarters.
Rod and Brody were about to follow, but Speedy stopped them.
"Why'd you stop us. Shouldn't we be worried. Penny could be in trouble." Brody stated.
"Here at HQ?" Bea asked and giggled.
Speedy chuckled. "Don't worry you two. Penny is fine. She's just talking to her mother." he explained.
"Oh. So... why didn't you stop Swift too?" Rod asked.
"One. I wouldn't have been able to if I tried. Two. It's about time Penny introduced him to her family." Speedy simply stated with a smile.
--
With Penny
"HOW AND WHY DID DAD THINK IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO PROMISE ME TO BLOBBY BOBBIN?! OF ALL THE PENGUINS, WHY HIM?! HE WAS THE WORST PENGUIN IN MY HATCH YEAR!" Penny screamed.
Priscilla said nothing and allowed her daughter to let out her anger.
She let out another squawk in frustration till she heard a knock on the door.
"Penny? It's me! Is everything ok? I heard you scream. Can I come in?" Swift asked on the other side of the door.
Penny gasped. "He's already back from training?" she thought. She soon turned her attention to the screen and whispered to her mother, who had a confused look when she heard the new voice.
"Don't move and don't say anything." Penny whispered to her mother.
Priscilla wasn't sure what was going on, but nodded and stayed still.
Penny let out a heavy sigh to calm herself a bit more, before answering.
"Yea, I'm ok, Swift. You can come in." She replied.
Once he got the ok, Swift opened the door and quickly flew over to her and sat on her bed next to her.
"Are you alright, Penny? I heard you squawk. What happened?" Swift asked worriedly.
"I'm ok, Swift. Really." Penny said with a smile to reassure him.
"Penny, that squawk sounded like your angry squawk. What happened?" Swift pushed on. Penny sighed.
"Ok, ok. I'm not ok. I was just talking to my mother and she told me something that made me really angry." She started,
Swift tilted his head, wordlessly asking 'what was it'?
"She told me that my father almost promised me to another penguin." She continued.
Swift's eyes widened, and he felt his heart sink a little upon hearing that. But he let her continue.
"And if that wasn't bad enough, he almost promised me to the WORST penguin in my hatch year!" Penny yelled, her anger coming back full swing. "I mean, how could he... he didn't even... ugh! If I still had my baby feathers I'd he pulling them off right now! AH!"
"Woah Penny, calm down." Swift said, gently grabbing her cheeks to try to get her to calm down. He'd never seen her this angry before.
He began to gently caress her cheeks with his thumbs in order to calm her down, a technique that usually worked. Penny closed her eyes at his gentle caress, then inhaled and exhaled before placing one of her hands over his which rested on her cheeks, telling him that she had calmed down. Swift gave a satisfied smile at this.
"I guess this penguin was really that bad, huh? I've never seen you this angry, Penny." Swift said, his hands still on her cheeks to make sure she stayed calm.
Penny opened her eyes and looked up at Swift. "He was. At least from what I remember about him. He was the meanest penguin in my hatch year. He'd pick on all of us and felt he was better than us because he was the biggest among us." she replied. "And, the thought of being promised to him by my family is just..."
Swift kissed her forehead, telling her that everything was ok. She smiled and looked up at him.
"Thanks, Swift. I could really use some comforting right now." Penny told him.
Swift chuckled and re-positioned himself to sit behind her. She sat between his legs as he wrapped his wings around her waist from behind, pulling her closer to his chest and nuzzled his head on the side of hers, at which she happily nuzzled back.
"Better?" he asked.
"Much." she replied.
Penny's mother watched quietly in shock at the display of affection between her daughter and the other bird.
Penny looked across at the top of her bed and saw that her mother was still on the screen.
"Oops. I forgot mom was still on the call." she thought.
"Swift?" She started, to get his attention
"Mhm." he replied.
"Um... don't get mad or too embarrassed, but... my mom may have seen our entire display of affection." Penny told him.
"W-what? W-where is she?" Swift nervously asked.
Penny pointed to the small screen in front of them. Swift looked and saw an older penguin, smiling and waving at them. He gulped and became red with embarrassment and tried to hide his face behind Penny, which didn't work.
"Penny..." Swift whined a bit.
"Sorry, I forgot she was still there." Penny apologized.
"There's no need to be shy, deary." Priscilla said to Swift, who turned his attention back to the screen. Despite being seen by Penny's mother, Swift kept his hold on Penny.
"Penny, who's this charming and caring young fellow you manage to get yourself?" She asked, smiling at the two.
Penny blushed slightly. " Swift, this is my mother, Priscilla."
"P-pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Swift nervously and politely greeted Penny's mother.
"Mom, this is Swift. He's... well he's..." Penny paused, still blushing.
"He's the one you chose, isn't he? I can tell after what I just saw." Priscilla giggled. "Nice to meet you too, Swift. So, he's the reason you rejected the others, huh?" she asked.
"Yea. Wait!... You know about that? Is that why dad tried to promise me to Bobbin?" Penny asked.
Priscilla frowned. "Yes. They all told us that you rejected them. Your father was worried you'd be the only one without a mate by the time you return from the academy. Bobbin was the only male left."
Penny frowned, now understanding the situation.
"I see. I should have figured he had his reason for doing this. I would have asked why, but I guess my anger got the better of me when I heard who it was he tried to promise me to." Penny stated. "What made him not go through with the agreement?"
"You'll have to ask your father that." Priscilla stated.
"Could you please call him, mom?" Penny asked.
"Of course, dear. I'll go get him." Priscilla replied, about to go and find her husband, but was stopped when Swift spoke up.
"Um, excuse me, Penny, Ms. Priscilla?" Swift started, to get their attention. "S-sorry to interrupt, but s-should I leave? B-because this seems to be a family matter and... I feel like I'm intruding." he stated.
Penny and Priscilla giggled, which confused the blue-jay.
"You are family, Swift." Penny told him, as she wrapped her wings around his which were still wrapped around her and nuzzled under his beak.
"I am?" he asked, blushing at Penny's show of affection.
"Yes, you are, dear. You became family the moment Penny said 'yes' to you." Priscilla stated and smiled. "I'll be right back," she said, going out of view for a moment.
"I guess I missed that bit of information during my research," Swift said softly to Penny.
Penny giggled.
Swift soon let out a heavy sigh, as if he had been holding his breathe. This worried Penny.
"Are you alright, Swift?" she asked.
"Yea, I guess." He trailed off.
"Swift," she said softly and worriedly, as she placed a hand on his cheek.
Swift sighed, "I'm sorry, Penny. I guess I'm just a bit nervous. I didn't expect to be meeting your parents so soon. I know I would have to meet them eventually, but I hadn't prepared myself for it yet. I've always worried about if they would accept me as your chosen partner since I'm a different species." he explained, tightening his hold on the penguin, but not too tight.
"To tell you the truth, Swift, I've been worried about that too. I was worried about whether or not my family would accept you and if yours would accept me. At least I know my mom's ok with it. We just need to know what my dad thinks. And of course, I'm worried about if yours will accept me or not." Penny admitted.
Swift gave a gentle smile. "I can assure you, Penny, my family will accept you. That is something I'm not worried about." he told her.
"How are you so sure?" she asked.
"Let's just say, my species has a history of going off with other species." he told her.
"Really?" she asked in surprise.
"Yup." he replied, nuzzling the side of her head. "So you have nothing to worry about on my end."
Penny giggled as he nuzzled her. She leaned into him to nuzzle back.
"I love you, Penny." Swift whispered to her lovingly.
"I love you too, Swift." Penny replied lovingly as well.
Unbeknownst to the two love birds, while they were having their moment, Penny's parents had returned and were watching the interaction between the two with interest.
"Now, how can we say 'no' to that?" Priscilla spoke up to get the two's attention.
Swift and Penny were startled and quickly turned their attention back to the screen and saw both of Penny's parents looking at them with a smile. Swift and Penny blushed and gave a nervous laugh at being caught again.
"Sorry to interrupt your moment, sweetie. But I had to get your attention." Priscilla told them.
"I-it's ok, mom." Penny replied, still blushing. "H-how much did you see?" she asked.
"We saw... and heard plenty, sweetie." Priscilla replied.
"Enough to get my approval, sweetheart." Phil stated.
"Really? You mean, you're ok with me choosing a blue-jay as my partner?" Penny asked her father.
"Of course! It's your life, sweetheart. Your choice." He replied with a smile, but frowned soon after. "And... I'm really sorry for what I almost did to you, Penny. I just didn't want my little girl to be alone."
"It's o-ok, dad. Mom told me why, so I understand." Penny told him. "But, why didn't you go through with it?" she asked.
Phil sighed. "For two reasons. I realized I was violating your rights and that I should have spoken to you first about why you rejected all the suitors. Second, Bobbin declined the offer."
This surprised Penny.
"He did?! Why?" Penny asked. She was happy to know that Bobbin declined, but was curious as to why.
"Something about being afraid of you. I know, it surprised me too." Phil said, seeing Penny's reaction. "Did something happen between you two, Penny?"
"Not anything bad as far as I can recall. The only thing I ever did was defend some penguins by standing up to him to leave them alone. Shortly after that incident, I left to come here to the academy." Penny explained, then realization struck her and she frowned. "Maybe I unintentionally hurt him with the things I said."
"What did you say to him, sweetie?" Priscilla asked.
"I don't really remember. It's been a few years since the incident. But he obviously remembers what happened. Mom, dad, you know I would never hurt anyone." Penny stated.
"Of course we do, dear. Not intentionally." Priscilla replied.
Penny sighed. "I may not remember what happened, but can you ask him and apologize to him for me when you see him" Penny asked.
"Of course." Priscilla replied.
"So, Penny... who's your friend?" Phil asked with a smile.
"Oh, right. Dad, this is Swift, my boyfriend. Swift, this my dad, Phil." Penny introduced them to each other.
"H-hello there, sir. It's a pleasure to meet you." Swift greeted with a wave.
"Hello Swift. Nice to meet the bird who made my daughter reject all the suitors from her species." Phil said teasingly, which made Swift a little nervous and uncomfortable.
"Dad!" Penny scowled, sensing Swift's uneasiness.
Phil chuckled. "I'm just teasing, Swift. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable, but it is nice to meet you. Now, I don't need to ask or tell you to take care of my Penny, because I've already seen and heard for myself how much you care about her."
Swift nodded.
"So, what did you give her?" Phil asked.
Swift smiled, knowing what he was asking. "Penny," he simply said, looking down at her.
Penny giggled and showed her parents the necklace and bracelet she was wearing.
"Oh my! Penny they're beautiful. *gasps* Are those kelp-icer pendents?!" Priscilla awed.
"Wow! That must have cost you a fortune, Swift." Phil exclaimed.
"Actually," Swift started, blushing and rubbing the back of his head, "I made them myself." he told them.
Penny's parents eyes widened.
"Really!? You made them yourself?" Priscilla asked.
"Yup. He did. And that's what makes them extra super special. Besides, I would have said yes to him anyway, even if he didn't give me a courting gift." Penny said, nuzzling him under his beak. Swift chuckled and nuzzled her back, not worried that her parents where watching.
Phil and Priscilla smiled at the two.
"We can see that you two truly do love each other. Not only did we hear you both say it, but your actions speak volumes. Swift, the way you flew into the room when you heard Penny's squawk and was able to calm her down, and stayed with her, proved to me just how loyal you are to her. And Penny, you eased his worry of meeting us and being accepted. That is indeed, true love. Being there for each other and supporting each other." Priscilla explained.
"And from now on, you also have our support, sweetheart." Phil stated.
"Thanks mom, thanks dad." Penny thanked them.
"Yea, thank you." Swift also thanked them.
"You're both very welcome. I'm just glad we were able to settle everything." Priscilla stated. "Anyway, I think it's time we made our leave. It was nice meeting you Swift."
"Same here." Swift replied with a smile.
"And, Penny? We hope to get a visit from you soon, sweetheart. And make sure you bring Swift with you." Phil told her.
Penny giggled. "I will dad. Bye now. Love you."
"Love you, too, Penny. Bye. Bye Swift. See you soon." Phil and Priscilla said, before ending the call. The small screen went back down once the call ended.
"Well, that went better than expected." Swift stated, still holding on to Penny.
Penny giggled and kissed his cheek, making him blush and chuckle.
"Well, we got their approval. So I guess that officially makes you my penguin and me, your blue-jay." Swift stated.
"I like the sound of it." Penny replied with a giggle.
She kissed his cheek. "I love you, my cool high flying blue-jay."
"And I love you, my super slick penguin." Swift replied, with a kiss to her forehead, as they continued their affectionate embrace.
--
In the control room
"So, I'm guessing everything worked out?" Speedy asked, looking at the screen. Bea, Rod and Brody were also in the room.
"Yes, it did. Better than we expected." Priscilla happily replied.
"We can see that she's in good wings." Phil said.
Speedy chuckled. "I take it that means you approve of her and Swift's relationship?"
"Yes we do. We were able to witness for ourselves just how much he cares about her." Priscilla stated.
"That's Swift. He's always looked out for Penny, and even more so since they got together. That's just how he is naturally." Bea stated.
"We're just happy our little Penny found her soulmate. Speedy, I know you'll continue to look after her as well." Phil said.
"Of course, Phil. You and Priscilla have nothing to worry about. Take care now." Speedy replied.
"Bye everyone." Phil and Priscilla replied, before ending the call, happy to know that their daughter had found happiness to move forward with her future. they asked if they could have time off he ssid 3weeks Swift and Penny went to his house Penny was sleeping wene they got their he heard crying so he went to his room and saw his 5 year old sister trying to get them to stop crying he went up to her and said let me try and sang them a song that went like this
Weep not for roads untraveled
Weep not for paths left lone
'Cause beyond every bend is a long blinding end
It's the worst kind of pain I've known
Give up your heart left broken
And let that mistake pass on
'Cause the love that you lost wasn't worth what it cost
And in time you'll be glad it's gone
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa
Weep not for roads untraveled
Weep not for sights unseen
May your love never end and if you need a friend,
There's a seat here alongside me
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa
they stoped crying she said when did you get here he said just now and put her back to sleep she said I won't to sleep with you so he took her out to the jet and went to sleep in the morning he told Penny to stay out here and i well get them ready to meet you he picked up his sister and walked to the door and herd his mom scream that she was gone then walked in and said did anyone here order a blue-jay the looked and saw Swift his sisters hugged him he told everyone to sit down and do not reject her or i well never come home again then got her and said this is my girlfriend Penny his family said nice to meat you They stayed there for a week and 2 days then they want to penny's house wene they got there they heard crying he said let me try something that always worked on my sisters and sang them this song
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you threw it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to Penny
I'm dreaming of a special Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the cards glisten and snowmen listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow
You were charming
You were yummy
Monarch of the police station
When the band finished playing
They howled out for more
The crowd were swinging
All the snowmen they were singing
You asked me to dance
And then we did sing
But then last Christmas, I gave you my heart
And the very next day, you threw it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to Penny instead
You're greasy
You're muddy
Happy Christmas to you
I pray God it's your last
Rockin' around the Christmas tree
At the Christmas party hop,
Rockin' around the Christmas tree,
Let the Christmas spirit ring,
Later I'll have some cake
And me and Penny will sing
I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
I don't care about heart
I just want Penny for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true oh
All I want for Christmas is Penny
Oh, Penny yeah, oh Penny yeah
Penny the student is a brave, down to earth soul
Penny the student is a fairy tale they say
Penny baby, I want you and really that is all
I'll wait up for you, dear
Penny baby, won't you sing with me tonight?
So here it is, special Christmas
Everybody's here to dance
Look to the future now
It's only just begun
Simply having a special Christmastime
Simply having a special Christmastime
they stoped crying her parents came in and asked how stopped them from crying Penny said Swift did he has the magic touch the next morning they walked in to the house her sister said who is this with you Penny remember that they have not met him Yet they got down to their level and Penny said he is my boyfriend and his name is Swift they heard voices outside so Swift went outside and saw his family coming tourds him he said do you wont to met Penny's parents they said that would be nice he took them in and said
Phil and Priscilla these are my parents steven and connie his sisters started to cry he asked Penny to help him she did he took two and Penny took one he sang this song to them
Weep not for roads untraveled
Weep not for paths left lone
'Cause beyond every bend is a long blinding end
It's the worst kind of pain I've known
Give up your heart left broken
And let that mistake pass on
'Cause the love that you lost wasn't worth what it cost
And in time you'll be glad it's gone
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa
Weep not for roads untraveled
Weep not for sights unseen
May your love never end and if you need a friend,
There's a seat here alongside me
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa
they stoped crying Then he said if you want you can come back to top wing with me but you have to be good And listen to me when I put you to bed at night they said OK so in a week and 3 days they went back to top wing